Body found near Daufuskie Island dock after search called off for man missing since Aug. 14
Update: The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department reported at 3 p.m. Saturday that a body was found in the water near Freeport Marina on Daufuskie Island. The Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol Unit, Dive Team members and the Beaufort County Coroner’s Office were responding to the scene. Additional details, including the identity of the deceased person, were not immediately released.
Authorities confirmed they have called off search efforts for a man who jumped off a Daufuskie Island dock a week ago and never surfaced.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office and S.C. Department of Natural Resources discontinued sending dedicated boats to search for Craig Lamonte Jones, 51, of Daufuskie Island. The agencies join the Coast Guard, which called off its search on Sunday.
Witnesses said they saw Jones jump from a dock on Melrose Landing Road around 8 a.m. on Aug. 14.
When he didn’t come back up, authorities began sending search parties for him by boat and by air.
The Sheriff’s Office said its efforts were called off on Thursday, according to spokesperson Maj. Bob Bromage.
David Lucas, a spokesperson for S.C. DNR, said he didn’t know when the agency’s efforts were called off.
This story was originally published August 21, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
